Scandalized by My Prince Read online

  A bad feeling? Killian was having something akin to that as he listened to her. “I can’t schedule my travel arrangements around a flutter of fear you feel. I’d never get anything done. I am going to Manchester, and will leave first thing in the morning. It’ll take me at least four days to get there, and I don’t want to waste time arguing with you about it.”

  She turned toward Gavin. “Are you going with him?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve other matters that need my attention. Lord Thornbury is a big boy and can take care of himself.”

  Aubriella scowled at him. “What kind of friend are you? There is possible danger, and you’re going to let him go there alone.”

  Killian was becoming rather amused listening to her chastise Gavin, but he had to put an end to it. Maybe this was something he could use to his advantage. He’d promised Aubriella they’d become more acquainted. Perhaps he should invite her along for the journey.

  “If you’re so worried about my welfare, you should join me. If you share your bad feelings with me, I might be inclined to listen to them.”

  He fully expected her to decline his invitation. So he was much surprised when she answered, “Very well, if you insist. I don’t have much to pack, and I’ll be ready to leave when you are. How early are we departing?”

  Bloody hell. He should put an end to this before it got out of hand. He’d been partially joking when he’d suggested she travel with him. Now though, he rather liked the idea of her coming along. He wanted to keep her close. It would give him the opportunity to figure her out and learn why she was really at Kingsbridge Castle. There was a story there, and he’d uncover every last detail of it. He had a lot to consider. Being alone with her wouldn’t be wise, and it could trap them together in an unwanted marriage—at least on his part.

  Maybe that was her game all along. Could she desire a match with him? There was no way to know for certain what her motives were. Still, the risk of bringing her along might be worth it in the end.

  “At dawn,” he said. “Don’t be late or I’ll leave without you.”

  “I’m never late,” she retorted. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ve much to do before we leave.”

  Aubriella inclined her head to both Gavin and Killian, then turned to leave. She held her head high, chin in the air, as she moved out of the doorway. A strand of her golden red hair tumbled loose and she pushed it back in place almost on reflex. She turned briefly and met his gaze. There was fire within the lass, and it burned through him. The upcoming journey promised to be scorching in more ways than one. Killian couldn’t wait…

  Chapter 4

  Aubriella didn’t honestly believe Killian would bring her along with him to Manchester. Going to St. Peter’s Field was an epically bad idea. She had to slow his progress to prevent him from being on that field when the massacre hit.

  She’d studied the Peterloo Massacre in depth, wanting to understand how it could have happened. The Earl of Thornbury, as far as the historical records she’d studied, had not been there. If he went, he could die, and she’d damn well do everything she could to prevent that. Perhaps that was her purpose for being in his life.

  If her calculations were correct, it was nearing dawn—the time Killian planned to depart. She skipped down the stairs as fast as she could in a confining dress. Locating a pair of pants was starting to sound good. If she could get away with it, she’d have already tracked a pair down. The persona she’d created for herself had to be maintained though. At the bottom of the stairs she stopped to see if anyone else was near. Silence greeted her, so she decided to go outside to see if the carriage had been brought around yet. If he truly meant to leave at dawn, it should be out front waiting for him.

  A carriage with a team of horses sat out front. So, Killian hadn’t lied to her. He did intend to leave soon. A groom loaded a trunk and turned to grab another. Aubriella approached him. “Where is Lord Thornbury?”

  He jerked back as if startled at the sound of her voice. “You frightened me, milady.”

  “My apologies,” she said. “That wasn’t my intention.”

  The sun was starting to rise, making it easier to make out his features. He grinned. “No worries,” he replied. “The lord should be out shortly. You must be excited to begin the journey.”

  “I suppose so,” she said absentmindedly. Where was he? She was starting to get nervous waiting for him. “Can I sit inside the carriage?”

  “Aye,” the groom said. “Do you need assistance?”

  She shook her head. “No, I think I can manage.”

  The man stared at her for several seconds before he said, “I don’t mind…”

  Aubriella fought a sigh. He was seeing the fragile side of her and didn’t think she was capable of climbing into the carriage. Sometimes that ability slipped free without her realizing it. The sooner she nipped it in the bud, the better. Otherwise, she’d be there until Killian came outside, and she’d rather be seated inside before that happened. The groom wasn’t going to let it go easily. “I can do it,” she told him. Then went and yanked the carriage door open.

  She climbed inside the carriage and shut the door behind her before the groom could object. Sometimes she hated her gifts. They could be debilitating if she allowed it. Aubriella settled in and waited for Killian to join her. Now that she knew he wouldn’t be leaving without her, she was rather glad she’d have some time alone with him. He was an incredibly sexy man.

  The carriage door swung open and she met Killian’s gaze. “Took you long enough,” she taunted. Aubriella couldn’t help herself. The words were out of her mouth before she thought better of it. “You said we were leaving at dawn.”

  “It is dawn, lass,” he said dryly. “Your definition of it must vary from mine.”

  Aubriella smiled at him. She tried to make it as demure as possible. It wouldn’t do to show her hand yet. He believed her to be fragile, and she had to let him continue to think that—at least for the moment. In time, she’d let him see her true side. She was no delicate flower in need of saving.

  “Not at all,” she replied. “I’m an early riser. I didn’t see the point in waiting when the carriage was being prepared for our departure.”

  He frowned. “But you said…”

  She waved her hand. “I spoke out of turn. Pay me no mind.” She’d have to work hard for him to forget about her earlier remarks. Hell… “Are you joining me inside?”

  He nodded warily. “Aye, I am.” Killian hopped into the carriage and sat on the opposite bench. He rapped on the top of the carriage to let the driver know they were ready to depart, then turned his attention to her. “Tell me about yourself.”

  She lifted a brow. “What would you like to know?” The carriage began to move, almost jerking her out of her seat. Aubriella grasped the side to hold herself in place.

  He studied her for several seconds before replying. “Whatever you feel comfortable telling me.”

  That would be absolutely nothing… If she said too much it could be disastrous. What was she going to say? Oh, I’m a time traveler. I jumped through a mirror in the twenty-first century and came to help you. Don’t worry though, I mean you no harm—truly. He’d have the carriage driver take them straight to bedlam claiming she was insane. The Earl of Thornbury had no background that would suggest he’d be open to the possibility of something as fantastical as time travel. What could she tell him that was safe?

  “I’m seven and twenty,” she finally said. “My birth happened to coincide with Samhain.”

  “Is that so?” He paused a moment. “Where were you born?”

  So much for him waiting for her to tell him what she was comfortable with. She couldn’t really tell him where she was born. If she did, it would lead to even more questions she’d not be able to answer. Maybe a little bit of the truth would dissuade him from digging deeper.

  “A little fishing village on the coast of Ireland,” she said softly. “Na Creagacha Dubha.”

  He remain
ed silent for several moments. Aubriella started to believe he’d let it go. She shouldn’t have though. Killian was too curious about her to give up that easily. “What of your parents?”

  “Are you asking me what happened to them?”

  “Aye,” he said. “Why are you alone in the world?”

  Sadly, she’d become rather accustomed to being alone. Her mother died the day Aubriella had been born. She’d never knew her and only had her father’s stories and pictures to go by. Cynthia Byrne had been lovely, with golden blonde hair and light brown eyes. Aubriella’s hair color was a mixture of both her parents’, but the color of her eyes she’d received from her mother.

  “My parents are gone,” she said quietly. “I’ve been alone for more years than I like.”

  “When did you lose them?”

  A lump formed in her throat. Talking about their deaths was hard for her. She didn’t want to talk about her family anymore. The whole point of forcing herself to be a part of this journey was so she could interrogate him. She wanted to discover the details of his family history, and save him from himself. How had she let him get the best of her in the question department?

  “I think I’ve talked about myself enough,” she said. “I have no family, and it pains me to talk about what I’ll never have again.”

  “I apologize for making you uncomfortable,” he replied. “It was not my intention.”

  “Perhaps it wasn’t, but that didn’t negate the outcome,” she said stiffly. “Why don’t we change the subject.”

  If she was clever enough, she could turn the tables on him and dig into his personal life. She wanted to know a lot about the Earl of Thornbury and what made him tick. He fascinated her…

  “What would you like to speak of?”

  She couldn’t come out and ask him about the king’s decree regarding his parents. He’d probably get ticked off at her if she was blunt about it. She would have to make it his idea to depart that bit of information. For now, she’d keep it light and ask him about things he’d think frivolous.

  “What do you do for fun?”

  “Fun?” he lifted a brow. “I don’t have time for childish activities. Kingsbridge is a large estate and takes up most of my time.”

  That didn’t surprise her. She’d been staying at the castle for a week and she still hadn’t managed to see all of it. At least in this time period… In her time, she’d sweet talked the current owner to give her a tour and let her explore to her heart’s content. She’d even managed to find the honeycomb of secret passageways. A part of her wondered if Killian knew about all of them. He’d probably not react well to her knowledge of his home. She’d always been fascinated with the castle and had included it as a part of her doctoral study. A lot of the information from the nineteenth century had been lost in a fire and she’d been limited in her research.

  “What do you do to relax then?”

  He frowned. The muscle in his cheek twitched. Aubriella stared at him for longer than was proper, but she couldn’t help herself. He was too handsome and all she wanted to do was throw herself at him. Would he kiss her if she sat in his lap and begged? She shook the thought away. Thoughts like that would lead her nowhere good…

  “I read when I find the time.”

  She smiled. “I love books. You have a nice collection in your library.”

  The library was one of the first places she’d located when she’d been given permission to explore. It wasn’t as extensive as the future castle’s, but it clearly was how the collection had begun.

  “You know how to read then?”

  Why would he assume—oh, he’d perhaps thought she’d grown up poor. “Of course,” she replied. “I had the best tutors.”

  Not entirely a lie. Some of her teachers had been amazing. They had given her the drive to study hard and learn everything she could lay her hands on. She was deeply in debt because of that yearning. Her university bills were mounting, and she barely kept ahead of the monthly payments. If her stepmother hadn’t burned away her college fund to live in style, perhaps her tuition would’ve been paid for. There was nothing she could do to change that now though.

  “In a small fishing village?” Killian lifted a brow. “How could your parents have afforded that?”

  Drat. She’d slipped… He’d been waiting for her to do that too. She could tell by the glee dripping out of him and sliding through her. Damn her empathy ability… “We weren’t poor, my lord,” she said sweetly. “My father was a wealthy merchant—at least until he remarried. My stepmother was a greedy woman and drove him into debt. I still believe that is what made his heart give out.”

  That, at least, was partly the truth. Her father had died of a heart attack when she was a teenager, and her stepmother, Nora Byrne, was quite greedy. Sometimes she wondered if Nora’s attitude had driven her father to an early grave. She couldn’t prove that belief and hadn’t bothered to try. There was no point. It would have driven her crazy trying. As soon as she was able to though, she left home and didn’t look back. She’d avoided her stepmother as much as possible, and only saw her stepsisters upon occasion.

  “What happened to your stepmother?”

  He sure was persistent… “She’s dead too.” As far as she was concerned at least. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person,” Aubriella said sarcastically. Oh, how she hated that woman…

  “You really are alone?” His voice held an edge of bewilderment mixed with acceptance. Maybe he’d finally stop the interrogation routine.

  “I believe I’ve said that already,” she said. “Why don’t you believe me?”

  The carriage hit a bump, making her jerk backward. Aubriella was starting to hate traveling in one. She never fully appreciated how much easier a car made her life until that moment.

  He frowned. “It’s hard for me to accept it. You shouldn’t have to take care of yourself. A woman should have at least one person she can depend on.”

  Aubriella sighed. “It might not seem like it, but I am all right. I don’t need anyone to see to my care.”

  Killian’s lips tilted into a firm line. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  Time to change the subject again… “Tell me my lord, what happened to your father?”

  So much for not being blunt… Sometimes a girl had to do the unthinkable in order to gain the upper hand though. Aubriella wasn’t above using the element of surprise when necessary. She sat back and waited to see how he’d respond. The ball is in your court, Killian.

  Chapter 5

  Killian remained still, trying not to give away how much her inquiry disturbed him. The pointed question had to come from somewhere though. Why had she thought to ask about his father? What did she know about his family? His next words had to be careful, or she’d discover the hidden truth.

  “My father has been gone for quite a while now,” he said calmly. It was a lie of sorts. The man the world believed had sired him had died when he was still a boy. “Nothing but old age happened to him.” The former Earl of Thornbury had been well past his sixtieth year when he wed Lady Sarah Augustine, Killian’s mother.

  “Perhaps I asked the wrong question,” Aubriella said. “What was your father’s connection to the king?”

  Killian’s insides turned to ice at her words. She couldn’t possibly know his secret. No one, save his mother, the previous earl, and his true father knew the truth. The mad king could blab all he wanted, but it wouldn’t be believed. He’d lived his life dreading the moment someone found out who he really was, and it appeared to have arrived. The need to distract her had never been greater inside of him. This woman was more dangerous to him than anyone before her. A nuisance he had no idea how to silence.

  “His connection is no greater than any other lords,” Killian replied. “Why do you ask?”

  Aubriella tapped on the side of the carriage with her hands. She opened a curtain on the side and peered outside. Sitting there in silence was driving him crazy. Why hadn’t she answered him?
He had to find out what she knew and how she’d come by that information. After several heartbeats, she finally turned to him and met his gaze. “Are you always this vague when answering a question?”

  “No more than you are,” he retorted. “I feel like finding out anything about you is impossible.”

  They were a fine pair, the two of them. Both had something to hide and were determined to keep it to themselves. He wanted to uncover every last detail regarding her, and by the end of this trip he hoped he’d have all of those answers. Until then, he could be patient while he figured her out.

  “I suppose that’s fair.” She folded her hands in her lap and smiled softly. “However, I do believe I’ve told you far more than you have shared with me.”

  “Semantics,” he said flippantly. “You act as if you know the answers before I give them. Perhaps it is I who has asked the wrong questions. What’s your interest in my family?”

  He couldn’t say exactly what bothered him about her. Something about her was damned eerie though. When she smiled, he wasn’t sure if he should yank her into his lap and kiss her senseless or prepare to be flayed. She was certainly dangerous to his sanity.

  “I find it fascinating.” Aubriella shrugged lightly. “I always have.”

  What the hell could be so appealing about his family? Perhaps he didn’t see the appeal because it was his life. She might not either if she had to deal with the stigma of being a bastard. He didn’t belong where he was, and it bothered him more than it should.

  “I fail to understand,” he said. “Would you care to tell me what it is you find so bloody interesting?”

  She brought her hand up and wiggled a finger at him back and forth, chastising him. “Tsk, Tsk, My Lord,” she said almost teasingly. “It’s unseemly to curse in front of a lady.”